At the 3rd Shusha Global Media Forum, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the strategic significance of the Zangezur Corridor, estimating it could handle 15 mln tonnes of cargo in its initial phase.
Speaking with Sherzod Kudratkhoja, rector of the University of Journalism and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan, Aliyev described the corridor as a new axis of the North–South transport route, with implications for the broader Turkic world.
A new gateway to Europe for Central Asia
The corridor opens a shorter and more efficient trade route from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and parts of Kazakhstan to European markets and ports on the Eastern Mediterranean.
Once operational, it will offer an alternative to existing northern and eastern trade routes, allowing goods to move via the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nakhchivan, and Turkey.
Azerbaijan advances, Armenia stalls
Construction of the railway on the Azerbaijani side is already underway, stretching to the borders with Armenia and Iran. The works are expected to be completed by spring 2026.
However, no progress has been made on the Armenian side in the past five years. President Aliyev warned that Yerevan risks falling into transport and political isolation if it continues to ignore the project.
Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Azerbaijan to takes legal action against Russia over AZAL plane crash.
